Interior design is not on Science Curator Daniel Ksepka's resume, but he was delighted to select the decor for his new office walls while browsing the paintings of the Bruce Museum collection. His cherished selection, Francis A. Silva's "Low Tide," 1880, now hangs over his desk, providing a calm and serene vista to the sometimes hectic schedule of the head of the Bruce's science department. The scene is most likely a rendition of the Jersey shore, possibly Long Branch or Keyport, near Silva's home -- and, incidentally, not far from where Ksepka grew up.

Silva is considered one of America's leading marine painters. Born in New York in 1835, he served as a captain in the Civil War before embarking on his artistic career from 1870 to his death in 1886. Known for his brilliant sunsets with atmospheric effects, Silva produced seascapes and harbor scenes rendered with a sensitive handling of light and atmosphere, painting along the Hudson River and along the coastline from Chesapeake Bay to Cape Ann, Mass. His tranquil landscapes are fine examples of the luminist style, developed as an offshoot of the Hudson River School and characterized by attention to detail and the hiding of brushstrokes.

This painting is one of the many "hidden treasures" of the Bruce Museum that are not currently on view to the general public, but come out for select exhibitions as needed -- or to inspire staff in their office spaces.

This work came to the museum as a bequest of George N. Morgan in memory of Ethel Boies Morgan. It appeared in the Bruce Museum shows "Wind, Waves and Sail" in 1996 and "Highlights from the Bruce Museum Art Collection" in 2006. It also was featured in the 2002 retrospective "Francis A. Silva: In His Own Light" at Berry-Hill Galleries Inc., New York.